Hungry for knowledge? APEP is here for you. Like muffins? Trust us. On Tuesday December 13th from 8:15am to 9:45am, we are hosting the next (highly) irregular APEP evaluation breakfast featuring Kat Athanasiades of Innovation Network and Elina Alterman of the Kansas Health Foundation. Come hear their (pretty darn compelling) take on the what’s, so what’s and how’s of developing network maps for advocacy evaluation. Whether you are a true believer or a network mapping skeptic, sign up here for a tasty breakfast and a thoughtful discussion.

APEP Breakfast- The Sequel: The Big Questions

Winter might still arrive in DC, so be prepared to clear your calendars (and your sidewalks) for another APEP evaluation breakfast. On Thursday January 12th at 8:15am, we’ll explore the big questions internal evaluators ask themselves as they navigate tricky organizational dynamics and tough advocacy evaluation questions. For an insider perspective, we are welcoming Chris Stalker of Pew Charitable Trusts to ask the big questions on advocacy evaluation from where they sit: how can it be more inclusive, relevant, better utilized — and much more. Smell the coffee. Join the conversation. For more information and to register, click here.

Small Data, Big Thinking

We love AEA365, and we know you do, too, for you are a reader of cultivated and discriminating taste. But maybe you skip one or two out of 365 days. So you might have missed this helpful and provocative take on the merits of “small data:” using qualitative inquiry into individual user preferences to complement the big stuff. Check out Chris Lysy’s post on the Big Data Backlash.

The Aspen Planning and Evaluation Program helps leading foundations and nonprofit organizations plan, assess and learn from their efforts to promote changes in knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and policies in the US and internationally. To learn more about our tools and services, visit http://www.aspeninstitute.org/apep.